When working in the field of fiber optics, users are often required to establish connections between non-connectorized ends of optical fibers or fiber ribbons. This is generally referred to as splicing and it involves creating temporary or permanent joints between two fibers. In certain instances, the two fibers are precisely aligned and then fused together using localized intense heat often times created with an electric arc. This is referred to as fusion splicing and is widely employed to create high performance permanent joints between two optical fibers. However, fusion splicer apparatuses are somewhat bulky, expensive, and relatively fragile. Alternatively, the two fibers may simply abut one another in an alignment fixture often referred to as a mechanical splice. The alignment fixture may be an alignment tube or V-groove which receives two ends of separate fibers on either side and has the means of physically securing the fibers. In other instances, the alignment device may be a fiber optic connector with a stub fiber embedded therein made to be connectorized to a field fiber. In this case the field fiber can be terminated utilizing a mechanical splice to the stub fiber inside the connector.
In order to avoid significant loss of signal and minimize the potential reflectance or light leakage within these joints, users must ensure that the fiber(s) are properly cleaved, that there is precise alignment between the fibers, and that transparent gel or optical adhesive applied between the fibers matches the optical properties of the glass. However, these details are not always easy to detect and/or ensure.
Various approaches have been developed to assist users with the task of terminating fiber optic cables. For example, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/920,270 entitled “Apparatus and Method for Terminating and Testing Connectors” and U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 62/370,379 entitled “Methods and Devices for Evaluating Optical Fiber Splices,” both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, describe concepts directed towards evaluating the connector in order to prove appropriate information regarding the splice. However, the disclosure in these applications focuses on the overall approach for fiber optic termination and does relatively little to physically define a tool that would be used for the intended purpose.
Therefore, there is a need for apparatuses and methods directed towards helping to determine and improve the quality of mechanical splices and provide improved termination of field fibers.